John 8:25

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Then they said to him, Who are you? Jesus said, What I said to you from the first.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ, Σὺ Τίς εἶ; Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Τὴν ἀρχὴν ὅ τι καὶ λαλῶ ὑμῖν.

Transliteration

Elegon oun to-him, You Tis ei? And eipen to-them the Iēsous, The archēn ho ti also lalō to-you.

Grammar Details

• *Elegon*: imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural - they were saying [continuous past]
• *oun*: inferential particle - therefore/then
• *Tis*: interrogative pronoun, nominative singular - who?
• *ei*: present active indicative, 2nd person singular - you are
• *eipen*: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular - said/spoke [completed action]
• *Iēsous*: nominative masculine singular - Jesus
• *archēn*: accusative feminine singular - beginning/origin/first principle
• *ho ti*: relative pronoun + indefinite particle - what/that which
• *lalō*: present active indicative, 1st person singular - I speak/tell
• *kai*: conjunctive adverb - also/even/indeed

Word Meanings

• *Tis*: who/which person
• *archēn ho ti*: from the beginning what/essentially what/primarily what [grammatically complex phrase with multiple interpretations]
• *lalō*: speak/talk/tell/proclaim

Referenced Verses

• John 1:19 : 19 And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him with the question, Who are you?
• John 1:22 : 22 So they said to him, Who are you then? We have to give some answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?
• John 5:17-29 : 17 But his answer was: My Father is still working even now, and so I am working. 18 For this cause the Jews had an even greater desire to put Jesus to death, because not only did he not keep the Sabbath but he said God was his Father, so making himself equal with God. 19 So Jesus made answer and said, Truly I say to you, The Son is not able to do anything himself; he is able to do only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does the Son does it in the same way. 20 For the Father has love for the Son and lets him see everything which he does: and he will let him see greater works than these so that you may be full of wonder. 21 In the same way, as the Father gives life to the dead, even so the Son gives life to those to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 The Father is not the judge of men, but he has given all decisions into the hands of the Son; 23 So that all men may give honour to the Son even as they give honour to the Father. He who gives no honour to the Son gives no honour to the Father who sent him. 24 Truly I say to you, The man whose ears are open to my word and who has faith in him who sent me, has eternal life; he will not be judged, but has come from death into life. 25 Truly I say to you, The time is coming, it has even now come, when the voice of the Son of God will come to the ears of the dead, and those hearing it will have life. 26 For even as the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to be judge because he is the Son of man. 28 Do not be surprised at this: for the time is coming when his voice will come to all who are in the place of the dead, 29 And they will come out; those who have done good, into the new life; and those who have done evil, to be judged.
• John 8:12 : 12 Then again Jesus said to them, I am the light of the world; he who comes with me will not be walking in the dark but will have the light of life.
• John 10:24 : 24 Then the Jews came round him, saying, how long are you going to keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, say so clearly.
• John 19:9 : 9 And he went again into the Praetorium and said to Jesus, Where do you come from? But Jesus gave him no answer.
• Luke 22:67 : 67 If you are the Christ, say so. But he said, If I say so you will not have belief;